Authorities instructed to implement land use audit

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) will carry out an inspection over land management along riversides and the coastline following a request from the Prime Minister following the recent controversial Haiphong land conflict.

MONRE issued Official Document No.31 to provincial authorities requesting inspections of land allocation, use and lease, especially land located along rivers and coastline. The authorities will be compelled to deal with any violations and amend outdated laws.

All reports must be sent to the MONRE before February 29. A synopsis will be sent to the Prime Minister in March.

The order was issued upon the Prime Minister’s request in Official Document No. 43 which issued judgment on the land acquisition case in Tien Lang, Haiphong.

49-year-old Doan Van Vuon became involved in a violent dispute with Tien Lang District authorities, after the local body issued a decision to withdraw 40 hectares of land allocated to him. The incident left six police officers injured and the landowner’s house demolished. On February 10 at a meeting to resolve the case, the Prime Minister concluded that the district authorities had violated the Law on Land in reclaiming Vuon’s property and ordered the district to revoke all of their illegal decisions and return the land to Vuon.

In his conclusion, the Prime Minister ordered provincial People’s Committees throughout the country to proactively review and put in order State management of land, particularly the confiscation of land in a coercive manner in accordance to legal regulations, focus on resolving land-related complaints by citizens.